The Essential George Michael: Ranking His Top 20 Songs
by snicks | June 25, 2014
George Michael was one of the biggest stars of the 80′s and early 90′s, starting with Wham! and then solo. Since his debut, he’s sold over 100 million records worldwide and notched eight #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
He’s had a tougher time personally and professionally since the mid-90′s thanks to a prolonged battle with Sony records and very public legal problems, but he’s been publicly out for over fifteen years, and hopefully he’s found his freedom.
Today is his 51st birthday, so let’s take a look back and try to pick out the 20 best singles of his career, both solo and with Wham! This is a good place to start The Essential George Michael Collection.
20. FREEDOM
YEAR: 1985
ALBUM: Make It Big
CHART PEAK: #3
The fourth and final single from Make It Big in the U.S., it was the first not to hit #1
19. LAST CHRISTMAS
YEAR: 1984
ALBUM: N/A
CHART PEAK: N/A
The B side of “Everything She Wants,” it was never released as a single in the U.S., but it was, and continues to be, one of the biggest holiday songs around the world.
18. WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO
YEAR: 1984
ALBUM: Make It Big
CHART PEAK: #1
True Story – Starting back at school in fall of 1984, I was walking with my best friend, who was wearing a Walkman. He stopped, head bopping, then took the headphones off. He said “I just heard the new song from The Pointer Sisters. It’s called ‘Jitterbug.’” Of course, the song wasn’t from The Pointer Sisters, and it wasn’t called “Jitterbug.” It was our first taste of Wham!.
17. FASTLOVE
YEAR: 1996
ALBUM: Older
CHART PEAK: #8
George released his first album in six years in 1996, after years of a bitter and costly legal battle with Sony records. “Fastlove” was the second single released, and to date, is his last entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
16. I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING FOR ME
YEAR: 1987
ALBUM: Aretha
CHART PEAK: #1
George fulfilled his dream of singing with Queen Of Soul with his mega-smash, which hit #1 around the world.
15. DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME
YEAR: 1991
ALBUM: Duets
CHART PEAK: #1
Speaking of worldwide #1 duets, George and Elton first performed “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’ at Live Aid in 1985, and years later, they performed it again during George’s 1991 Wembley Arena concert, and hit chart paydirt.
14. MONKEY
YEAR: 1988
ALBUM: Faith
CHART PEAK: #1
The fifth single from Faith, it was his his fourth #1 smash in a row, and his first #1 song on the dance chart.
13. ONE MORE TRY
YEAR: 1988
ALBUM: Faith
CHART PEAK: #1
One of the biggest singles from 1988, it was an across-the-board classic, hitting #1 on the pop, adult-contemporary and R&B charts.
12. I’M YOUR MAN
YEAR: 1985
ALBUM: Music From The Edge Of Heaven
CHART PEAK: #3
By late 85, Wham! was on its last legs, and Music From The Edge Of Heaven (released in the U.S. in the summer of 1986), was a hodgepodge of one-offs and odds and ends. But it had some great stuff, including “I’m Your Man”, which was the album’s highest-charting single.
11. CARELESS WHISPER
YEAR: 1985
ALBUM: Make It Big
CHART PEAK: #1
The first inkling we got that Wham! might not endure was when “Careless Whisper” was released in the states as “Wham! Featuring George Michael.” Yeah, that was a clue. “Careless Whisper” spent three weeks at #1, and was Billboard’s #1 song of 1985.
10. JESUS TO A CHILD
YEAR: 1996
ALBUM: Older
CHART PEAK: #7
The first single from Older, it was written as a tribute to George’s boyfriend lover Anselmo Feleppa, who died of a brain hemorrhage.
9. FAITH
YEAR: 1987
ALBUM: Faith
CHART PEAK: #1
The biggest song of his career from the biggest album of his career, it spent four weeks at #1 and became Billboard’s #1 song of 1988.
8. THE EDGE OF HEAVEN
YEAR: 1986
ALBUM: Music From The Edge Of Heaven
CHART PEAK: #10
Wham!’s most underrated single, it was their final top ten (or top 40) release in the U.S.
7. PRAYING FOR TIME
YEAR: 1990
ALBUM: Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1
CHART PEAK: #1
The first single from Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, it marked a decidedly different tone from his early frothy hits. It was his final #1 song on the Billboard chart.
6. I WANT YOUR SEX
YEAR: 1987
ALBUM: Faith
CHART PEAK: #2
George courted controversy for the first time in his career with this single from the Beverly Hills Cop 2 soundtrack, which also previewed his first solo album. Not everybody does it … but everybody should!
5. A DIFFERENT CORNER
YEAR: 1986
ALBUM: Music From The Edge Of Heaven
CHART PEAK: #7
George’s first official solo single, it’s a sparse, delicate ballad that’s overlooked among his more well-known hits.
4. EVERYTHING SHE WANTS
YEAR: 1985
ALBUM: Make It Big
CHART PEAK: #1
Wham!’s third consecutive (and final) #1 song, George has named it as his favorite Wham! song. I concur.
3. FREEDOM ’90
YEAR: 1990
ALBUM: Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1
CHART PEAK: #8
Second single from Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1, it had George recounting the story of his life, and the shedding of his teenybopper MTV image.
2. TOO FUNKY
YEAR: 1992
ALBUM: RED HOT & DANCE
CHART PEAK: #10
“Would you like me to seduce you?” George’s greatest dance song, it’s still just as vibrant over 20 years later.
1. FATHER FIGURE
YEAR: 1988
ALBUM: Faith
CHART PEAK: #1
For me, this is hands down the greatest song in George’s discography. Gorgeous and seductive, it’s one of the great ballads of the decade.
Bubbling under the Top 20: “Waiting For That Day,” “Kissing A Fool,” “Amazing”
Okay, your turn! What’s in your Essential George Collection?
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